Byron formally joined the family business the summer of 1999 when he was 13 years old, spending practically every summer and even some Christmas and spring breaks working around the shop at the old 543 Main Street location. His first jobs included washing equipment, changing oil, rebuilding cotton picker drums, and learning the fine art of how to properly push a broom. These first, formative summers were spent shadowing some of the best technicians and parts men in the business, all the while learning countless lessons on how to fix anything from a Farmall 706 tractor all the way up to the newest STX Steiger tractors. Byron loved anything to do with operating farm equipment, especially combines, which still to this day is his favorite piece of farm equipment to work on and operate.

In 2004 Byron followed a long, proud line of Fightin’ Texas Aggie Former Students in the Hlavinka family and went off to College Station to complete his Bachelor of Business in Management and his Master’s degree in Agribusiness. In 2010, upon returning to Wharton County after college, Byron assumed the role of Complex Service Manager and officed out of the El Campo location. Byron built on the lessons he learned years ago and developed many new and practical processes to improve the service department at the time, which covered seven locations. He then moved to Jefferson County in 2014 to manage the Nome location where he tipped his hat toward something completely new to him, selling equipment. While in Southeast Texas Byron began raising his young family with his wife Lisa, and they now have three daughters who keep them very busy. Fast forward to present day, Byron is Vice President and Director of Aftersales, which encompasses everything that is considered parts and service.

Outside of Hlavinka Equipment, Byron is a director with the West Jefferson County Water District; member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Agricultural Mechanics Committee; Texas State FFA Tractor Technician Contest Judge & Captain, and actively supports other local organizations like Winnie-Stowell Ducks Unlimited, Southeast Texas Independent Cattleman’s Association, and various youth fairs and livestock shows. In his time away from work, Byron enjoys woodworking, metalworking, restoring cars and tractors, and learning about aviation as his lifelong dream is to one day become a pilot.